The class blog for Sociology 3301W, Fall 2006.

â€śFree Ridersâ€?

In class we looked at the â€śprisonerâ€™s Dilemmaâ€?- where two suspects are arrested, the police donâ€™t have enough evidence to convict and the two suspects are better off defecting no matter what the other prisoner does. In my social theory class we talked about sociologist such as Peter Blau and other exchange theorist who point out that individual are agents, they seek pleasure, profit or prestige, and they might be a free rider-trying to get their own way-. Through exchange, we learn what works and what doesnâ€™t, interaction is rational, we might be looking out for our own interest and pleasure.

As we looked upon the â€śprisonerâ€™s Dilemmaâ€?, it was said that- the rational strategy for individual is to be selfish, the rational strategy, collectively, is to cooperate but the more others cooperate, the more it pays to defect. So if it is better to be a â€śfree riderâ€?, why do we cooperate? And how do we know others would cooperate? Steven Pinker states that â€śthe best way to convince a skeptic that you are trustworthy and generous is to be trustworthy and generous.â€? (259) Is this the right approach? If we all act in this way, how can we trust one another?